42°52′31″ N 79°15′18″ W

Aug 20 – Port Colborne, Ontario

We left Tonawanda at 7:00am Sunday morning hoping to get a good start on the day. Winds on Lake Erie were predicted to be low in the morning & then building in the afternoon so we wanted to arrive in Port Colborne before the lake got too rough.

It was about 90 minutes from our dock in Tonawanda to the very last lock we had to pass through on the Black Rock Canal just outside of Buffalo. The route was well marked at the entrance to the Niagara River.

However, our early start plans were thwarted because when we arrived at the lock entrance there was a big sign informing us that the locks did not start operating until 11:00am on the weekends. So, we tied up to the lock entrance wall & had our second breakfast.

The lock finally opened just before 11 & we were through in about 15 minutes.

Our next encounter was a massive & ancient bascule bridge & it was slow opening because of mechanical issues.

This bridge had a concrete counterweight on it that was the size of a small house!

Finally we were headed towards Lake Erie but conditions did not look promising as there were lots of whitecaps on the water & that means a rough ride.

I suggested to Catherine that we go out past the breakwater to see what it was like & that if it was too rough then we would turn around & find a marina near Buffalo. Our only problem with Buffalo as the backup plan was that the weather forecast was for wind conditions to get worse each day until Thursday & we were anxious to get “home” to Ontario. (photo below – Buffalo skyline)

Once we were past the breakwater the waves got pretty rough, consistently 2-4 feet high with the occasional 5-6 footer mixed in for some additional excitement. We actually got wet up on the flybridge from waves breaking over the bow. I would have taken some photos of our crossing but I was kinda busy at the helm & Catherine was too busy hanging on for dear life. Our only consolation was that we were coming into the waves head on, which made for a rough (& sometimes wet) ride but at least we weren’t being tossed from side to side.

I told Catherine that we could turn around if she wanted to but she said that if this was as bad as it would get, & we “only” had 2 1/2 hours to go then she wanted to keep going as long as we were safe.

We finally arrived at Port Colborne’s Sugarloaf Marina around 2:30pm & were very happy to be secured to the dock.

After we were tied up I called Canada Customs to report our return to Canada from the USA & to also import the boat into Canada. I was able to do everything over the phone & with the help of a credit card to pay the HST on the boat.

So now our little trawler is officially a Canadian citizen! I think she’ll like being in fresh water but she may not be so thrilled about our winters.

The weather forecast for the next several days is sunny but with strong winds so we will hang out here in Port Colborne until at least Thursday. Then we will make a long day trip to Port Stanley.

The marina here is very nice with great amenities so it won’t be too much of a hardship to stay here for 3 more days. There’s even a Don Cherry’s restaurant here that’s conveniently located above the marina office. Catherine & I had a light dinner there to celebrate our arrival into Canada. The Lake Erie crab cakes were delicious!

Cheers, eh!

43°1′18″ N 78°52′39″ W

Aug 19 – Tonawanda, NY

The screenshot below shows our location relative to Buffalo & also to Port Colborne, Ontario where we plan to “officially” land in Canada on Sunday afternoon & report in to Canadian Customs.

On Saturday we travelled the last leg of our journey through the Erie Canal. We left Holley at 7:00am & arrived in Tonawanda at 5:00pm with a few interesting events along the way!

As we approached the lift bridge in Albion the operator asked us to tie up along the wall for a while because there was a running marathon in progress & he could not raise the bridge until the last runner had crossed over.

We took advantage of this pause & fixed ourselves a second cup of coffee & watched the runners pass by. We were back underway in less than an hour.

We were now putting the majority of locks & lift bridges behind us. One of the last locks on the canal had a large dry dock at the upper end & there were several workboats & barges stored in it. I would have liked to have stopped & looked around some more but we were anxious to get to Tonawanda before the end of the day.

The last several miles of the canal were also lined with large apple & tender fruit orchards & fields of corn & soybeans.

The final two locks in the Erie Canal system are located in Lockport & they are pretty spectacular. The two locks are back-to-back so after you go up (or down) in the first lock the gate opens to let you directly into the second lock. The two locks combined change a boat’s elevation by 49 feet.

We made it into the first lock OK & were ready for the “lift” as soon as the lockmaster was ready to go.

There were lots of people on the bridges above watching the locking process.

The lockmaster informed us by radio that a local tour boat was in the lock above us & that we would exchange places when the middle lock gates opened.

When the first locking process was completed the captain of the tour boat radioed me & asked that I come in behind his boat before he would start to move. We proceeded into the lock & there was quite a bit of turbulence in the lock caused by water leaking in past the upper gates & the flooding valves. When the tour boat started to move his propeller wash combined with the other turbulence, forced our boat away from the lock wall & we began to turn sideways in the lock. At that point I had no choice except to complete a 360 degree turn & try for the wall lines again. While I was up on the helm flybridge trying to maneuver Catherine was down on the main deck with a boathook trying to figure out what the heck I was doing! We couldn’t hear each other because of the noise from all of the water leaking past the lock gates.

To make a long story short, we finally got the turn completed, secured the boat to the wall lines & got lifted to the next level. I was very lucky to complete a full circle turn with a 34 foot long boat in a 45 foot wide lock without hitting the walls or breaking anything. It would have been neat to have a picture or two of that but my hands were “full” at the time.

When we reached the top elevation I apologized to the lockmaster for the delay & he told me not to feel too bad as I was certainly not the first boat to get turned around like that & would also not be the last one to do that.

It must have been quite a show for everyone watching from above. 🙀

After we left the lock we resumed our journey to Tonawanda. We arrived there about 2 hours later. It rained hard for about 45 minutes while we were underway but thankfully the rain stopped before we reached our destination. We were glad to have the locks & lift bridges behind us.

Next stop – Port Colborne, Ontario.

Cheers!

43°13′40″ N 78°1′19″ W

Aug 18 – Holley, NY

We left Fairport at 6:30am Friday morning.

It rained heavy the night before so the flybridge area was soaking wet & had to be dried off before we could leave the dock.

Once underway we encountered several fixed height bridges. The NY Canal Authority cautions boaters that clearance is limited to 14.5 feet & that it could be less than that if water levels are high.

It is a bit nerve wracking approaching these bridges but our bimini frame is lowered to 13.5 feet so we should be OK until we pass the last bridge on the route (near Buffalo ). We checked, double-checked & then checked again to be sure & we have had no trouble so far (touch wood & fingers crossed!)

The lock master at one of the locks we passed through today told us that just a few days ago a houseboat had it’s bimini badly damaged at the low bridge just in front of the lock. Not a good day for that boater!

We are starting to see more sailboats headed south with their masts & rigging all tied up on the deck. Some of the sailboats we saw appeared to have no room at all on deck for crew to get around. Must be a real challenge for them to handle lines in the locks & when docking. Especially in the locks ’cause the boat moves around a lot during the up & down process.

We passed through a section of the canal today south of Rochester called the rock cut – & the name is very appropriate!

No problem with depth in this section but not a lot of room to maneuver.

This went on for several miles & then the landscape changed to a more rural setting.

The Canal Authority has done an excellent job maintaining the canal & the adjacent shorelines. In many sections the towpath along the banks of the canal is paved for miles & we see many people out biking & walking along them – especially in areas close to the towns.

There are lots of small towns along the canal route & they each offer free dock space along the canal wall for up to 48 hours. Some even provide free electricity & bathrooms & showers as an incentive for transient boaters to stop & spend a day or two in their community. This is very refreshing compared to further south (before the Erie Canal starts) where we paid up to $4.50 a foot US$153.00 + tax) for overnight dockage & the amenities were often not as nice as we could get along the canal route for free!

We passed through Spencerport, which had the 2nd of 16 lift bridges between here & Lockport.

This was a really pretty place & it would have been nice to stop here for a day or so – but it was only 1:00pm & we wanted to get a little further on before we stopped for the night.

We went another 15  miles & stopped for the night at the Town of Holley. It is also a pretty place but the town is a block or so away from the dock wall so it is a lot quieter.

The area along the canal is really well done with a welcome center, picnic tables, bathrooms & showers & free self serve pump out – which we gladly used.

As suppertime approached we thought we were going to have a very quiet night because we were the only boat on the dock & most of the locals had disappeared. But a large van pulled up to the dock around 6:00pm & some fellas in a rock band called “Who Dat” started setting up drums, microphones, guitars & amplifiers.

I told Catherine that I hoped these guys are not into heavy metal or it could be a long night! 🙀

Shortly after the band was set up lots of people arrived with lawn chairs, blankets, etc. & the band started playing what I would call classic soft rock – Beatles, Van Morrison, etc.

They were really good! Catherine & I mixed up a couple of drinks & we sat on the boat’s transom bench to enjoy the music & atmosphere.

By the time it was getting dark there was a party happening! People were even sitting on lawn chairs on the other side of the canal & a few small local boats tied up too.

Our boat still has it’s previous home port (Switzerland Point, FL) on the transom.

This has turned out to be a great conversation starter wherever we stop. People are interested to know how we got this far & where our final destination is.

During one of the band’s brief breaks a local couple approached us & wanted to know our story….

Amy & her husband Joe (hope I got their names right) have a farm & orchard nearby & are big boosters of the canal. They were telling us that in the 70s the State of NY was considering closing the canal (because of the cost of maintaining it) & local communities & farmers convinced the State to keep it open because it was important for tourism & also for all of the farmers (like them) along the canal who depended upon the canal as an important source of water for irrigating their crops.

Holley turned out to be a very enjoyable stop & we would like to return again some day.

Next stop – Tonawanda!

Cheers!

43°6′9″ N 77°26′37″ W

Aug 17 – Fairport, NY

We went through Lock 26 at 7:00am this morning. When we first got up the outside of the boat was absolutely covered in mosquitoes. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be sleeping in a tent!

On to the next lock a few miles further up the canal. This particular lock location is also a “home base” for many of the work boats that are used to maintain the canals, locks and dams. Some pretty cool equipment here.

It would be neat to take a tour of this facility. It even has a massive dry dock.

As soon as we exited the lock we encountered an English style canal boat, very similar to the kind we chartered in England last fall.

Upon closer inspection we saw that there are a few companies in this part of New York State that are chartering them. The boat’s here are wider because the locks can accommodate a wider beam.

We stopped around noon at a small public marina in Palmyra. It can only hold 4-5 boats but is really well done.

They offer free dockage for up to 48 hours & that includes electricity, water, bathrooms & showers – plus a self-serve pump out facility. We had lunch on the boat & then walked into the town in search of a hardware or small department store.

The downtown area is very nice with lots of interesting stores, galleries & museums.

We found a dollar store & picked up a couple of umbrellas. The beach umbrella we bought in Brewerton is too big to hold on to for extended periods of time & there is no way to safely secure it to the helm seat so we hope that the smaller ones will be easier to hold on to & give us some shelter from the sun. We will be able to put the bimini back up once we reach Buffalo.

Other boaters meeting us on the canal must get a chuckle out of this sight but it’s better than getting cooked in the sun!

We arrived in Fairport around 3:30 & decided to call it quits for the day. This town is a very popular & busy stop on the canal route. We were lucky to find a spot to tie up.

This town also has the first of 14 lift bridges that we will have to pass under en route to Buffalo. None of the bridges are high enough for us to pass under without lifting so we hope that they will not delay our rate of progress too much. All of the locks & lift bridges operate on demand. However, in this section of the canal their service hours are from 7:00am to 5:00pm each day.

Cheers!

43°3′29″ N 76°50′15″ W

Aug 16 – Erie Canal Lock 26

Today we travelled approximately 55 miles & are now well on our way to Buffalo.

We were up early and ready to leave at 7:00am but the river was covered in fog so we stayed on the dock until 8:30.

Catherine took advantage of the situation & got acquainted with the marina’s two cats, Max & Grommit.

Not sure which one is Max & which one is Grommit.

They are both very friendly – so friendly in fact that the marina has a note on their “Welcome Packs” that they give to each boater asking you to check for feline stowaways on board before leaving. Apparently they like to jump aboard boats tied to the docks.

We were also visited by a flock of swallows who were having a great time catching bugs off the river beside our boat.

The birds took a break on our bow railing while the fog was lifting.

We finally got underway as the sun burned off the fog. It was our first day “topless” (i.e. no bimini) & thankfully the sun was not too intense. We bought a beach umbrella in Brewerton yesterday & it helped provide some shade but was also a bit unwieldy as there was no way to secure it to the deck of the flybridge so we had to resort to holding on to it with one hand & steer with the other. In retrospect we would have been better off to buy a couple of golf umbrellas.

After about 3 hours into our journey today we came to the dividing point at Three Rivers Junction. This is the place where you turn right to go to Oswego or turn left to go to Buffalo.

We hung a left & started the 192 mile trip to Buffalo. We hope to make it there by Saturday or Sunday at the latest.

Cheers!